Immigrant Threat, Political Articulation by Extreme Right Parties and Support for Capital Punishment: A Multilevel Analysis of European Countries.

This study investigates the relationship between anti-immigrant political rhetoric by extreme right-wing parties, perceived immigrant threat, and public support for capital punishment across 21 European countries. Using data from the 2017 European Values Study merged with the Manifesto Project Dataset, the findings indicate that both higher perceived immigrant threat and greater anti-immigrant political articulation by extreme right parties are independently associated with increased support for capital punishment. Moreover, the study finds that the political rhetoric of extreme right parties amplifies the effect of perceived immigrant threat on punitive attitudes. These results highlight the significant role of political discourse in shaping public opinion on punitive policies, suggesting that politicization of immigration can foster a social climate conducive to harsher punishment.